Dolly's Dreamings

I LEARNT something new everyday

September is drawing its final breaths as I type and I have completed my album.

I wanted to finish it in september and so although i have been working one day behind I made two pages today so I could end in September.

This is my page for 29th - my new hall.

I really have learnt that enough is enough when it comes to renovations. In a year we have done so much and now I just want to relax and enjoy the beautiful home we have created.

My photo of today was the morning mist - another one of the autumn things I love. the mist seems to act as a veil hiding the secrets of the day ahead with its bright sunshine and beautiful light and if the morning was bright as well you'd never fully appreciate the beauty. You need that veil to appreciate what the world is like when it is lifted. I also learnt that i need long sleves first thing in the morning!

And finally I did my end page ont he back cover. It sums up the book and highlights what is perhaps the most important lesson of all..... even when I am busy and rushed off my feet, if I really want to I can find time to craft ... and I should as it is a theraputic way to end my day.

The pages may be simple, but they have focused me as I have embarked on a new year.

Thanks for another great class and the motivation to be more than an exhausted teacher with no life outside of school.

I will bind it tomorrow because I really am tired now! And remember - one of my lessons was that the Bind It All hates me!

Mmmmmm - smell that smell

I have the most gorgeous smell in the house. They should bottle it.

Not my Yankee candles (though I love them .... cool cotton at the moment ... soon be time for Cinamon stick)

But

the smell of

new carpet

I love it. The hall stairs and landing carpet is down. It is so thick - you just sort of sink into it. I love the colour and the softness and the smell.

As Nigel says - our house looks very grown up now.

The picture above is our top landing (we have more than one as it is a split level house)

And here is my lovely new vase and dried arrangement

 

My agefor today is Autumn themed. I adore Autumn. The crispness, the light, the colours. My favourite season of the year.

 

 

Now I'm off to sit and wriggle my toes in luxurious deep pile and thick underlay.

 

Autumn is coming

Having been sunburnt yesterday the weather has toaken on an Autumnal feel today. A little cooler, cold nights, trees starting to turn and we hung our autumn wreath on the door.

To mark the coming of Autumn the wreath is my picture of the day.

Here is my page for yesterday. I learnt that the unexpected can work really well at times.

Todays lessons have been many.

• Children don't always say what you expect them to, especially when a video camera is on them

• Meetings can turn out to be very different from expectations

• Bathroom disaters can be resolved quickly if you have a fab plumber

• It is possible to make 2 cards after a hard day at work but it leaves you with no time for anything else

• It's a good job tea is just a packet soup as I have no time for real food preparation or eating.

FREE Sunday class and home sense

OK - so the home sense doesn't mean I have suddenly got home sense, rather that i went shopping at Home Sense.

Home Sense has to be one of our favourite stores - we love it. You get really unusual and quite quirky things there and it is very American (well canadian actually but you get the drift)

We needed a new table for the lamp in the hall to go with the new decor and we had quite set ideas about what we wanted.

We didn't get it!

We fell in love with a 6 drawer black faux laquered leather caninet and just had to have it.

We were worried it wouldn't look right but it did.

My picture of the day is just a tiny part of it - it will be revealed in all of its glory once the new carpet is down on Tuesday. But surfice to say we both love it.

It is hard to photograph to get the beautiful design to show up.

I made my LSNED page as well (plus some DT work and a fair bit of very hot sunbathing)

I have had enough of home improvements now. Once the new carpet is down that is us done .... well for this year at least.

In 12 months we have had a new kitchen, a new bedroom, a new en suite, new windows and a new hall stairs and landing. Time, energy, money and creativity have now all run out.

What have I learnt today?

• Having always wanted a laquered cupboard I now have one - well a faux one anyways

• The sun still burns in September

• New weight loss photos show my shape is changing .... for the better

• Weekends go too quickly

And so to the class page.

As usual feel free to totally disregard it, use the general idea, use the whole idea etc but please, don't call it your own.

You can download the class HERE

Sunbathing in September

How fab to be sunbathing in september.

It has been glorious here today.

I have also been scrapping. i have made two pages for mel and Jill at ATDML which I can't share yet but i am really pleased witht hem.

I have also made my LSN page today for yesterday which is Fiki playing - in our house you have to accept that everything is a toy in the eyes of the Fiki monster.

The page here is one I made for ATDML last month - retail therapy heaven (oh and I also did a bit of that today LOL with some more punches ordered)

Anyway - this is Nij outside a Walmart - gotta love that store.

Finally here is my picture of the day - Nij did the last little touch ups before the new carpet is laid on Tuesday - then we are DONE with renovations for what I hope is a LONG time.

Thank crunchie it's Friday

Do you remember that advert - for crunchies - and the slogan Thank Crunchie it's Friday -  or is it just me.

It sort of stuck and boy am I glad it is Friday today. Here is my LSN page today - documenting my lovely phone dangle and the fact that Samantha is just so darned special.

 

What have I learnt today?

• I love Friday at about 4.30..... Ok so not new, i have known that for about the last 40 years.

• I love having Nij at home and coming home to a house cleaned from top to bottom, shopping and washing all done and a weekend of relaxation ahead.

• Everything is a toy to Fiki (You'll understand when you see the picture of the day)

• My LSNED album won't close!!!! (and I did try not to be lumpy)

I would like to share this page which I made for ATDML last month as I have been writing about sam and the family.

This is a just too adorable picture of Elinor. She is just gorgeous.

 

I was actually quite chuffed with the hand cut scallop frame which worked out OK

 

And finally here is my picture of the day - my little chap. He is being much better behaved recently because he has his Daddy home all the time.

 

Have a fabulous weekend xxxx

Very precious

I am very very very lucky that God blessed me with such a wonderful god-daughter. I may not have had a daughter of my own or indeed a sister, but Samantha is both of these rolled into one and I couldn't love her more if she were either.

We live a long way from each other, but it doesn't matter. That bond doesn't notice distances.

I had a long chat to her last night, which is always good and i also want to share the gift she sent. She always finds such unusual and special gifts and this is a typical sam present. It is a gorgeous phone dangle with 'special godmother' engraved on it.

I love it and it is very special.

I have used it as my photo of the day (the other dangle - a blingy 'K' was from the other special girl in my life .... Jakki) and have included a close up 9still pants) as well.

Dawn Inskip has a brand new kit out today at The Digi Chick and it is lovely as usual. There are so many fabulous bits in it. I made two quite different pages with it.

This first was using a photo I love of a bee collecting pollen.

The second one is using a picture sam sent of a gorgeous bunny

I haven't managed my LSNED page yet - but will tackle it later and share it either later or tomorrow.

But I have learnt lessons today ....

• My teeth didn't need any fillings - just a routine clean

• My weight loss is quite noticeable now - even parents commented on it (though no colleagues have)

• Meetings can run over!

And finally - here is my page today for yesterday's lessons

Nothing like a good roll

No - I am not obsessing about food again - or talking about me rolling around!

The latest challenge at A True Friend has just gone up and is all about movement.

I scrapped the picture of Fiki having a good old roll on the patio. He loves to do that and gets quite ecstatic.

Do go over to A True Friend  and have a look and join in the challenge

My LSN page today made for yesterday was using the photo of the day from yesterday. 

I so wanted the little ball bearing magnetic toy and I am so thrilled I finally have it. You see, all good things are worth waiting for and if you want it enough and believe you will get it you will! Well, that's my theory about the ball bearing toy ... and about Nigel himself actually. I met him when i was 15. I really really wanted to be with him as I knew he was my soul mate, although we were both with other people. And just a mere 8 years and two broken engagements to other people and there we were ... together!!!!

Anyway - I digress. Here is my page.

My photo of the day is something really nice that happened. i received a small parcel int he post and it is wonderful. It was from Chris and sam and inside were 4 - yes 4 - discs of photos of Emily and Elinor and I am so so so pleased.

So what have I learnt today?

• Wonderful things come via the mail sometimes

• The digital age makes the world seem smaller and families closer

• Some days everything just goes pear shaped!

• Pink walls need two coats of paint to turn them cream

And finally - I have to share a lovely e mail I received today from Norma.

 

Puppy Size

 

'Danielle keeps repeating it over and over again. We've been back to this animal shelter at least five times. It has been weeks now since we started all of this,' the mother told the volunteer.

 

'What is it she keeps asking for?' the volunteer asked.

'Puppy size!' replied the mother

'Well, we have plenty of puppies, if that's what she's looking for.' 'I know..... we have seen most of them, ' the mom said in frustration... 

Just then Danielle came walking into the office

'Well, did you find one?' asked her mom.

'No, not this time,' Danielle said with sadness in her voice. 'Can we come back on the weekend?'

The two women looked at each other, shook their heads and laughed

'You never know when we will get more dogs. Unfortunately, there's always a supply,' the volunteer said.

 

Danielle took her mother by the hand and headed to the door. 'Don't worry, I'll find one this weekend,' she said.

Over the next few days both Mom and Dad had long conversations with her. They both felt she was being too particular. 'It's this weekend or we're not looking any more,' Dad finally said in frustration.

'We don't want to hear anything more about puppy size, either,' Mom added. 

Sure enough, they were the first ones in the shelter on Saturday morning . By now Danielle knew her way around, so she ran right for the section that housed the smaller dogs.

Tired of the routine, mom sat in the small waiting room at the end of the first row of cages. There was an observation window so you could see the animals during times when visitors weren't permitted.

Danielle walked slowly from cage to cage, kneeling periodically to take a closer look. One by one the dogs were brought out and she held each one.

One by one she said, 'Sorry, but you're not the one.'

It was the last cage on this last day in search of the perfect pup. The volunteer opened the cage door and the child carefully picked up the dog and held it closely. This time she took a little longer.

 

'Mom, that's it! I found the right puppy! He's the one! I know it!' She screamed with joy. 'It's the puppy size!'

'But it's the same size as all the other puppies you held over the last few weeks,' Mom said.

 

'No not size... The sighs. When I held him in my arms, he sighed,' she said. 

'Don't you remember? When I asked you one day what love is, you told me love depends on the sighs of your heart. The more you love, the bigger the sigh!' 

The two women looked at each other for a moment. Mom didn't know whether to laugh or cry. As she stooped down to hug the child, she did a little of both.

 

'Mom, every time you hold me, I sigh. When you and Daddy come home from work and hug each other, you both sigh. I knew I would find the right puppy if it sighed when I held it in my arms,' she said. Then, holding the puppy up close to her face, she said, 'Mom, he loves me. I heard the sighs of his heart!'

 

Close your eyes for a moment and think about the love that

makes you sigh. I not only find it in the arms of my loved ones, but in the caress of a sunset, the kiss of the moonlight and the gentle brush of cool air on a hot day. They are the sighs of God. Take the time to stop and listen; you will be surprised at what you hear. 'Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.'

 

 

I hope your life is filled with Sighs!!!

E Mail is fun

I came home today to fnd my intrepid hubby had painted all of the hall staors and landing.

Gone is the dated pink - in is the warm neutral cream. It looks .... well different actually and I THINK quite nice but it needs to grow on us and we need the cream carpet to finish it off.

But he has worked so hard - I am a lucky lady.

My page today is a picture from an e mail i received yesterday that made me smile.

E mails do that.

I have a great circle of on line friends and family and they send such fab stuff on a daily basis, from the inspirational and profound to the naughty and very funny. It never fails to brighten my day.

Thank you all of you.

My picture for today is of soemthing I wanted for years. Every time I visited Nij at work i begged to have it and was always refused. Then he left work and I had it! Result!

It is a magnetic base with a lot of ball bearings. Doesn't sound fab but it is. It is so addictive to fiddle with and play with and everyone who has come into my office has coveted it too!

So it is my photo of the day.

And what have I learnt today .....

• Special things are worth waiting for

• The simplest things can amuse you for hours

• Nigel is a star (but I guess that is not a new lesson)

• Putting on a school play is a seemingly daunting and impossible task.

Shiny new doors

I came home today to a lot of shiny doors. Nij finished the gloss painting and it looks lovely and clean.

Once the walls are painted cream and the new carpet os down it will transform it - I hope.

My photo of the day is the top landing. (it's an odd house .... split level .... so we have several landings)

I have done my LSN page for yesterday's lessons. It is such a good discipline for me to do something creative every day even though I have little time. The pages are overly quick and simple, but at least I do focus on what I have learnt.

The picture is a screen shot from the Virgin site to celebrate the excitement of booking a holiday.

I also want to share this page which was another - yes there were a lot - made for charmed cards and crafts last month.

It was quite an old picture of Emily but one I love so I wanted a chance to use it.

Now what have I learnt today?

 

 

• The shiny doors make such a difference to the house.

• I stuff things behind furniture to hide it away and tidy it and it is a BAD habit.

• I have way too many pairs of socks

• E mails make me smile even after a pretty hard day.